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Her eyes were seeing a metallic wall. The irises turned to the left, seeing a closed metallic door.
"… defeat will come with a declaration of surrender." Mirii, while in Squid form, swam behind in a slow movement. "All I need is making my mind work efficiently: perfection starts growing from true intelligence."
Her eyes were tracking two female Stinglings talking to each other, while pronouncing specific words.
"Evidences are the signs for the logical path." Her eyes squeezed a bit. "Unfortunately, they can be manipulated as easily as a statement." She sighs, as she turns behind and swims a bit forward. "The only solution is to catch the one-time evidence, who'll release me from my prison: in other words, the evidence who arrives with the luck's aid."
Her eyes were looking up, seeing a coral-like ceiling.
"If someone is hanging by the ropes of luck, that situation isn't one I would like to find myself in." Her eyes were frowning. "Weaknesses can be brutal: you'll find yourself trapped inside an unbeatable situation."
Her eyes were looking down on her orange ink, as Mirii sank slightly.
"No matter what idea I can muster… even if you are a genius, a Squid can't do as much without any tools." Her eyes closed. "I thought of using my physical strength… but in Squid form, raw strength is drastically decreased."
She returned towards the metallic door.
"Weight also faces the same fate… I can move my tentacles, but those are too weak to lift or even attacking strangers. Even if I had useful gadgets in my arsenal, my Squid form completely absorbed them, together with my clothes."
Her tentacles sticks out of the ink.
"If I try using communication, the Stingrays will shush me down… the mind can't work without a brief stop: you don't want to deal with overheating complications."
The female Squid rose her lower part, resting on the orange ink's surface.
"It's said that colors can grant psychological powers to smart beings…" Her eyes were seeing a bright red and blue ceiling. "… the only thing I'm perceiving is just subjective realizations."
Her eyes closed.
"Nice liquids such as this orange ink… it's yourself being hit by a calm and continuous wave of energy. Energy who knows how to massage perfection… hhhmmmmmm…"
FUM!
Suddenly, a scream was moving in the air: Mirii opened her eyes, jumping a bit out of the ink. Turning behind, her eyes tracked down green ink scattered on computer keyboards and monitors. Her eyes grew.
"Mirii Kelpshell…"
The girl immediately turns left and right, as sweat was jumping out from her forehead.
"Who's talking from the shadows?!" Her eyes frowned. "No courageous Squid needs any normal form of occultation."
"Occultation also needs silence… friendly Squids talk to you."
"Friendly Squids aren't afraid of showing themselves!" Her irises kept bouncing left and right. "I order you to appear in front of my eyes, without any"
FUM!
Mirii jumped, as her eyes were seeing a large puff of smoke: while dissolving, the whole black, cloth wearing male Inkling was standing right in the middle. His right forefinger pointing up, while his right fingers were holding his left forefinger, as the left fingers closed. His eyes were closing too.
"… nice to meet you, Mirii Kelpshell." His eyes opened. "Seeing a rival trapped inside a cage would open a world of possible victories… but you are forced to sacrifice your honor."
"You…" Her eyes squeezed a bit. "… do you happen to be another one of those mercenaries, who are sent in front of my presence and threat me, because of my Project Neo's progresses?"
"Yes." He nods. "My enemy deserves to know my goals… in exchange I deserve to not be called a liar."
"Hmpf, your futile attempts to demonstrate your own innocence don't work against perfection." She tilts a bit up, with her irises still staring the man down. "Claims and promises are useless in front of the facts."
"Facts… like destroying the cage holding you down?" His right hand pulled off his weapon.
"Even if you can achieve such task… that fact isn't definitive." Mirii snorted, lowering her head down. "In order to be the worst thief, you have to be the best hero."
"… you don't really see beyond your prison?" His hands were holding his katana's handle, as his left foot slides forward and his knees were bending. "Perfection is a phenomenon of many forms…"
"False. Perfection is being in control: who can stop you, if your opponents can't do anything they wish?" Her tentacles rose.
"Controlling the flow means to be in power… but a Squid inside a net, it's just ready to be cooked." His eyes squeezed a bit.
Mirii growled, as her eyes were frowning a lot.
"Who's truly strong is not the one who hides behind luck… the true warrior hides behind skills." His hands lifted his katana. "The truth shall repel the weak!"
SWISH!
The cage's ceiling was moving forward, falling behind: Mirii's irises were as big as dots, while sweat was covering her forehead. The man's hands put his katana back inside its own cover. The Squid jumped, while changing in midair.
Mirii landed on her feet, as her head rose and her eyebrows were slightly down.
"… impressive." She slowly claps. "Skills are the results of hard-work… weaknesses are the results of non-work."
"I can only accept those kind compliments inside my memories. No doubts shall rule my mind." His eyes closed, as his hands were doing the same pose as did before.
"Good." Mirii's arms folded. "Unfortunately, compliments can't convert any enemy… especially when they want to be considered one." Her head lowered. "Threats aren't effective without a valid reason behind the violence. Honesty triumphs over its negative ego."
"Your reasons are strong… no weapon can defeat logic better then logic itself." His eyes opened. "You were defenseless… I returned defenses in your hands. Defenses with ropes tied on your wrists."
"Imagination has no value in this world." Her head rose back. "Facts do."
"Because of my help, you are officially entered inside a ninja deal." Around him, everything was losing colors…
FUM!
He was behind the girl, with his left arm wrapping around her neck. Mirii's hands were on his left elbow, her eyes were wide, her irises shrunk and her eyebrows lowered.
"A ninja deal can be a blessing… or a curse." His voice was whispering inside her right ear. "When a ninja accomplishes a favor, other ninjas become aware of this… and expect the other Squid doing another favor back."
"Wh-why you…" Her teeth were gritting. "You contradicted your own words… you took advantage of my temporary weakness and bragging rights with your deal…! Honor can only get dirty, with dirty strategies such as this one."
"Listening your mind makes your ears deaf." His eyebrows went down. "I said that a ninja deal can also be a blessing… but that would be the product of intelligence."
"You are asking me to leave Project Neo once and for all… or else an army of ninjas will hunt me down without any pity." She starts moving a bit left and right.
"I thought facts were your allies… now you tossed them in exchange for a path who leads in a land of lies." He snorted.
FUM!
A puff of smoke appeared for a moment, dissolving quickly: the ninja was appearing in front of Mirii.
"The receiver has the right to know the favor I have in my mind… which is not asking you to leave the project." His hands were clenching.
"Hmpf. It may not be directly related to that objective… but your logic will make sure to lead me through a path of wrong decisions." Mirii walks to the left, with her head still pointing down the ninja. "Perfection doesn't forget: one slip, one defeat."
"I'm here because of the vase…" His eyes closed, while his head was lowering.
"… as I suspected." Mirii stops, as her arms were folding. "I trust logic. Logic trusts the truth."
"I know you want to take that vase… but instead, that ornament will fall in my hands." His left hand rose up, wide open.
"Your deal is history." Mirii rose her head. "Send me your friends… I will show you how easily they will fall in front of perfection."
"… they will show in front of the Master of the Shrine." His eyes opened.
Mirii bends forward with her eyes expanded.
"He's looking for you through this maze… alone with a weak warrior. My friends are watching your friends' moves… waiting for my orders."
"YOU COWARD!" Mirii's face was frowning, as her fists were clenching. "COWARDS ARE ONLY GOOD FOR SPEECHES!"
"Cowards can't save prisoners."
FUM!
"… let alone save themselves." His voice was coming from around the room.
Mirii kept turning her head left and right.
"You might have friends who have experience in fights… but they also experience mistakes." His voice was echoing a bit. "Mistakes are food for weaknesses."
Mirii was growling loudly, as her right hand was forming a fist and was raising it towards the ceiling: her teeth were gritting.